| PROTOCOL THREE I had some trouble tracking down the famous "Protocol 3", failing miserably on the gov.im web site and the gov.uk web site, however the Channel Islands seem to be more open about the subject and I tracked down a copy complete with explanatory notes from an organisation called A.T.T.A.C (Association For The Taxation Of Financial Transactions For The Benefit Of The People) Treaty
of Accession of the United Kingdom to the European Community Article 1 1. The Community rules on customs matters and quantitative restrictions, in particular those of the act of accession, shall apply to the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man under the same conditions as they apply to the United Kingdom. In particular customs duties and charges having equivalent effect between those territories and the Community as originally constituted and between those territories and the Member States shall be progressively reduced in accordance with the timetable laid down in Articles 32 and 36 of the Act of Accession. The Common Customs Tariff and the ECSC unified tariff shall be progressively reduced in accordance with the timetable laid down in Articles 39 and 59 of the Act of Accession, and account being taken of Articles 109, 110 and 119 of that Act. 2.
In respect of agricultural products and products processed therefrom
which are the subject of a special trade regime, the levies and
other import measures laid down in Community rules and applicable
by the United Kingdom shall be applied to third countries. Article 2 The rights enjoyed by Channel Islanders or Manxmen in the United Kingdom shall not be affected by the Act of Accession. However, such persons shall not benefit from Community provisions relating to the free movement of persons and services. Article 3 The provisions of the Euratom Treaty applicable to persons or undertakings within the meaning of Article 196 of that Treaty shall apply to those persons or undertakings when they are established in the aforementioned territories. Article 4 The authorities of these territories shall apply the same treatment to all natural and legal persons of the Community. Article 5 If,
during the application of the arrangements defined in this Protocol,
difficulties appear on either side in relations between the Community
and these territories, the Commission shall without delay propose
to the Council such safeguard measures as it believes necessary,
specifying their terms and conditions of application. Article 6 In
this Protocol, Channel Islander or Manxman shall mean any citizen
of the United Kingdom and Colonies who holds that citizenship by
virtue of the fact that he, a parent or grandparent was born, adopted,
naturalised or registered in the island in question; but such a
person shall not for this purpose be regarded as a Channel Islander
of Manxman if he, a parent or grandparent was born, adopted, naturalised
or registered in the United Kingdom. Nor shall he be so regarded
if he has at any time been ordinarily resident in the United Kingdom
for five years. END OF PROTOCOL NOTES "Holder is not entitled to benefit from European Community provisions relating to employment or establishment." This message can be found stamped inside the passports of people of 'pure' Channel Island and Isle of Man (Manx) descent as well as those born in the islands to European parents, in other words, people who have a parentage that is not of the United Kingdom. What does this mean? Channel Islanders and Manxmen are not covered by the rights of the freedom of movement of workers and therefore have no automatic right to work or start a business within mainland Europe. Why is the Stamp in the Passports? The stamp first appeared in islander's passports after the accession of the United Kingdom to the European Community. The U.K. government negotiated on behalf of the islands and the result of these negotiations was Protocol 3. It is because of this protocol that the stamp became a part islander's passports. What is a Channel Islander and a Manxman? These are arbitrary terms created by the United
Kingdom and the European Community to differentiate people born
of Channel Island and Manx heritage from immigrants from the U.K.
Anybody born, naturalised, registered or adopted within the islands
who cannot prove that they have a parent or grandparent who was
born in the U.K. is immediately subject to the terms of Protocol
3. Does this mean that a child of European parents who is born in the islands has no right to work in Europe?
What does A.T.T.A.C. want to do about this? A.T.T.A.C. feels that Protocol 3 is unjust. It is a breach of human rights that forces the Jersey authorities to discriminate between islanders who were all born on the islands. Protocol 3 discriminates between people of European Community origin, favouring people of United Kingdom origin over those of other European nationalities. A.T.T.A.C. is lobbying politicians to highlight this discrimination and bring about political pressure for the removal of Protocol 3 as well as preparing a case to be heard in front of the European Court of Human Rights that aims to have the protocol declared a breach of European human rights law. Objections to Protocol 3 The distinction between 'Channel Islanders' and
the majority of residents on the islands is discriminatory, a breach
of human rights and means that all residents of the island are not
treated equally by either the local or EU governments. As the islands'
governments are only responsible for domestic affairs, the United
Kingdom government is still responsible for the islands' international
affairs. 'Channel Islanders' and 'Manxmen' are denied true democratic
representation on an international level. |